Written by Sahiri Loing

As a business-oriented metropolitan that is sometimes hotter than Jakarta, Surabaya may not be a city that attracts lots of tourists — most people see it as a transit destination on their way to scenic sites such as Mount Bromo.

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And like in most big cities, Surabaya is also teeming with hip cafes perfect for weekend hangouts and chit-chat with your besties, not to mention satiating your hunger for all things gastronomical.

So here’s 13 cool cafes you should visit the next time you’re in Surabaya, where the food and coffee’s awesome, and at affordable prices too — our favourite kind of places!

1. Dine under the galaxy: Kuppel Biergarten & Bar

Enclosed in a ceiling-to-floor glass dome, this galactic cafe-bar will remind you of a multi-faceted diamond globe, only that you are dining in it.

This explains its name, Kuppel, which means “dome” in German.

Photo via bendottetapsemangat

Don’t the suspended lamps resemble the stars and planets in the galaxy?

Photo via bendottetapsemangat

In the day, you can watch the clouds float by under the azure blue sky as you dig into your lunch, and as dusk falls, the lights above will bask you in blue and red, as you get ready to chill the night away with your buddies and beer.

Photo via vaniamayac, isabellamelly

If this is not magical enough, we challenge you to test your limits by downing a rack full of strangely-coloured liquid named Ultraviolet. Or the thick turquoise Tosca soju!

Photo via pindhosucipto, michaelho94, ultraviolet, tjiasianme

Photo via jackmagnifico, evelynsurjadjaja, emilia.stephaniee

You’ll be serenaded by live bands and DJ spins, so get ready to get high and enjoy some relaxing good time with your friends!

You’ll almost think you just walked into a doll’s house. Or rather, a Teddy bear’s home.

With a Teddy bear theme and everything sweet, cute and pretty, ladies will love this hang out spot.

Photo via xnindyx,-fillyafrn

Comfortably nestled in a housing complex, the façade of One Pose Café looks just like a huge, classically-designed house, with a matching interior that can only be described as elegantly cute.

Photo via foto fun, ratuassakinah elsa

Photo via lindarzki, kurniafungfatmala

The cuisine is a fusion of Western and Asian, with creative names such World Tour in a Plate (Rp.42,00p) – a delicious risotto with breaded chicken and spicy Padang sauce, or the Red Army on Yellow Boat (Rp.25,000) – garlic bread with dabu-dabu topping!

Pair this with a drink from the Healthy Choice menu, and you’ve got an interesting brunch for the day. We recommend Green Pasture (Rp.25,000), a blend of Broccoli, honey, and orange.

3. Britain’s Best at Stilrod Café Surabaya

If your tastebuds veer towards the land of James Bond, you should check out Stilrod Café Surabaya.

Photo via gegfia

Everything British is evident in every corner of Stilrod, from the Union Jack wall décor to the iconic red phone booth (which actually works) to the display of a Ford Angia car (think Ron Weasley’s car in ‘Harry Potter’).

Photo via khalidayahya, lourenmichael

Photo via fahmi jazuli, ratnadewiiswulandari

How about the food? You’ll love the nicely textured Creamy Crunch Scots Egg (Rp.24,900), a boiled egg wrapped in smoked beef and delicious sauce. Or the succulent London Steak (Rp.99,900) and the authentic British dish – Bangers and Mash (Rp.54,900) – which will satisfy all you sausage fans.

Photo via kulinersby

And here’s a little titbit about the cafe’s history: Stilrod began as a bicycle shop, but the owner’s love for all things English encouraged him to transform the place into the British-themed Stilrod today.

4. Stay Up Late at Domicile Kitchen & Lounge

If you are looking to dine with a bit more sophistication, head on to Domicile Kitchen & Lounge, which has spacious indoor and outdoor areas, and a VIP room for a private meeting with clients.

Photo via charlestunge, jessicangelaa

Domicile offers a variety of cuisine, from Western to Chinese to Indonesian, and their fritter choices (especially the dory and calamari) are deliciously crunchy without overpowering the original seafood taste.

You should try the Wagyu Cheese Burger (Rp.65,000) or Pizza Quatro Formagi (Rp.80,000) which is served with four types of melted cheese!

What’s even greater is that you can stay here till late night. Their fine selection of wine, beer and cocktails will keep you buzzing throughout.

5. Coffee and Satay at Cailano Specialty Coffee & ShaoKao

Have you ever tried enjoying your favourite cup of coffee with satay?

Well, realistically speaking, we wouldn’t really recommend pairing them (maybe order the coffee after), but Cailano Specialty Coffee & ShaoKao, which is adorned with minimalistic and all-white decor, offers you that option.

‘Shaokao’ is a Chinese street food similar to Indonesia’s satay, as it’s spiced (minus the coconut sauce), skewered, and grilled.

Photo Via Ifan_rosandy

Photo via Zonaweiwei

Cailano’s Super Mangkok (Rp.39,000) is quite tasty – it comes with a simple dish of rice, shaokao, grilled beef or chicken, and edamame. Or you can order individual shaokao (chicken or beef) – we totally recommend the Cheesy Beef Bomb (Rp.13,000).

Photo Via Irawanhardjo, Apriliaaditisar, Immanuel_nico

After your tummy is filled, head off to the coffee bar to order some delicious coffee, such as cappuccino (using Brazilian beans) brewed with the La Marzocco Linea machine. If you prefer the manual brew, try the citrusy Bali Plaga coffee which is concocted with the Kalita brewing method.

7. Guilty Pleasures Galore at Yoohoo Desserts and Bites

This place is clearly designed for those with a sweet tooth, where your bowl or toast will be deliciously filled with generous scoops of ice-cream.

Yoohoo Desserts and Bites serves up savoury bites for lunch and dinner too, but we know you aren’t here for a proper meal.

Photo via bendottetapsemangat

Recommended on our list is the Mochi Toast or the YooHoo Dessert Oreo Ball (Rp.45,000), a heavenly assortment of colourful sweets that includes taro, red beans, egg pudding, pearl jellies, green tea ice cream, and oreos (the pink ones)! You can opt for either the complete serving or a smaller one.

8. Enter the birdcages: Noach Café & Bistro

Noach Café & Bistro is another pretty cafe, with a bit of a masculine touch, due to its solid wood coverings, grey tiles, black pendant frame lamps, and a bit of green thrown into the mix in the form of faux plants.

But it also comes with plush comfy sofas and birdcage seats that ladies would love to Instagram at.

Photo via annisapanca,-jesseca.jeannie

Photo via gregory.evan22,-andrewutomo

The ambience of the two-storey Noach is more of a restaurant than a café, but the prices are pretty much in the affordable range.

And can you resist these cheesy Crispy Spinach balls?

Don’t forget to order a refreshing Lemongrass Cooler or Maple Mojito to quench your thirst on a hot afternoon, and end your meal with the delicious Noach Pancake topped with strawberries and ice-cream!

9. Of flowers and romance: ONNI Kitchen

As you enter ONNI Kitchen, only one word is apt enough to describe its ambience – whimsical.

The backyard-kitchen restaurant has such sweet and woody decor, it’s perfect for a girls’ night out.

Photo via freddy.rahardjo

ONNI infused a very pretty touch to the table set-up, which includes fresh flowers and a personalised menu card with your name printed on it, if you are there for a special occasion and made reservations beforehand.

On the fixed menu set (salad, appetizer, main entrée, dessert), we love the Lemon Butter Dory (Rp.220,000) and the Wagyu Yakiniku (Rp.275,000), and we recommend the delectable Espresso Panna Cotta for dessert. Do make reservations beforehand, as the cafe can only accommodate up to 30 people.

If you fall in love with their cute props and decor, you can actually purchase some at their ONNI Store, which sells fresh flowers too!

Photo via jessicajessie, Devia Anggita

And if you are looking for a cute place to take the little ones to, ONNI organises family activities on some weekends, with lots of games, cooking activities and animal fun the kids will love!

11. Authentic traditional local food: Rumah Makan Kano

For an authentic local taste, you can find Indonesian street food served in cosy and vintage surroundings at Kano (acronym for Kabeh Ono, which means “we have everything” in Javanese).

Photo via josephkartawinyoto

Photo via tirzaalvina1303

Photo via irwantan

You can get your familiar and delicious Indonesian fare here, such as fried chicken served with an ultra spicy sambal (Rp.18,00p), Balinese Ayam Betutu (Rp.30,000) or Sundanese Nasi Empal Kribo (Rp.30,000), a sweet, spiced beef shredded on top of rice in way that makes it look like an afro or kribo.

Photo via timothy.cy,-amandakohar

We suggest ordering some Aloe Vera Juice (Rp.15,000) to go with your meal, considering that you will probably have to relieve your tongue from the red-hot sambal!

12. Soak up the sun: The Localist Coffee and Bistro Surabaya

Don’t we all love sleek, spacious cafes where the sunlight streams in and brightens up the entire room?

Photo via richard.budiman, jessicaevelinee

At The Localist Coffee and Bistro Surabaya, with majestic floor-to-ceiling glass windows, you’ll get exactly that.

Photo via veronicaadelyne

The coffee has all your usual suspects, but we love the mocktail names, such as ‘Daun di Atas Bantal’ (leave on a pillow) or ‘Mantan Terindah’ (the most beautiful ex-lover), which are actually titles of Indonesian films.

Photo via jejaringmakanan

Food here is a variety of Western and Chinese, such as Mini Burger with Fries and Fried Beef Kwetiaw. And they are all pretty affordable!

Photo via sasmitaedo, jejaringmakanan, waregcok, chrisla

Again, we love the huge space you get at The Localist, helped no doubt by the natural light. Avoid the midday sun though, as it can be too warm and blinding if you are facing the sun.

13. Have a sea-riously yummy lunch – Dream of Kahyangan Art Resto

Have a scrumptious lunch at this eccentric fusion restaurant located in the heart of the city! The uniqueness of this restaurant shines through from their Chinese-Javanese inspired interior, making your lunch here a mindblowing tastebud and cultural experience.

Make sure you try their well-known seafood dishes, such as the Sate Kamasutra, a squid and shrimp skewer coated with their special sauce, or Gurami Pesona Sangkuriang, fresh local fish cooked in sour gravy.

Do you know of any other trendy cafes in Surabaya? Comment and share with us!

PLEASE NOTE: All the above information is correct at the date of publication. If you come across any changes or updates, please let us know and we will update the information accordingly. Thank you! Tell us

Sahiri has been putting his time in the media industry since 2006, working for companies such as Swank Glossy Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Koran Jakarta, Foodie Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar, but for the most part he’s simply manifesting into words people’s lifestyle du jour that includes what superfood they’re munching, films they’re watching, music they’re listening to, apps they're playing, clothes they’re wearing, and the places they travel to. It all comes together in the end. Currently at The Beat Bali. Based in Bali.